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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22560733">Proposition</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/celli/pseuds/celli'>celli</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Knives Out (2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Chocolate Box Exchange, Established Relationship, M/M, Post-Canon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 18:36:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>564</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22560733</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/celli/pseuds/celli</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Elliott took a step closer. “Drinks as usual, to celebrate the closed case?”</p>
<p>“And what a case it was,” Blanc said. He smiled slightly. “I would be delighted to accept your proposition.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Benoit Blanc (Knives Out)/Lieutenant Elliott (Knives Out)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>104</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Chocolate Box - Round 5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Proposition</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/arbitrarily/gifts">arbitrarily</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thanks to mardia for the beta!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once Hugh Ransom Drysdale’s lawyers showed up, Lt. Elliott prepared for some serious boredom. He wasn’t wrong; Drysdale was glared into silence every time he tried to open his mouth, and the lawyers monotoned about evidence this and interrogation that.</p>
<p>Elliott just stared at them and let Trooper Wagner repeat, over and over, “We have a recorded confession.” The lawyers had lots to say, but really, what could they argue?</p>
<p>Finally, Drysdale was off to arraignment, and Elliott watched him walk down the hall. They all ignored his parents, who burst out of chairs near the sergeant’s desk and followed him, shouting loudly at him, the lawyers, and the officers escorting him. Drysdale paused briefly in front of a chair by the front door, where Benoit Blanc was sitting, observing him with interest. He said something to Blanc under his breath; Blanc quirked half a smile up at him and went back to looking around the room. Drysdale made a frustrated noise and let himself be ushered out.</p>
<p>Elliott waited for the sound and fury of the lawyers and the parents to fade away and approached Blanc. “Well, Benny,” he said.</p>
<p>“Thomas,” Blanc replied, his eyes looking even bluer as he focused on Elliott. </p>
<p>Elliott took a step closer. “Drinks as usual, to celebrate the closed case?”</p>
<p>“And what a case it was,” Blanc said. He smiled slightly. “I would be delighted to accept your proposition.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Much later that evening, Benny got out of bed and walked to the other side of the room, not bothering to put anything on. Thomas laid back and watched him, allowing his breathing to return to something approaching normal.</p>
<p>Benny filled two glasses from a bottle at the front of the liquor cabinet built into the far wall and brought them back to bed. Thomas sat up to take one from him and Benny sat next to him; they drank in companionable silence for a while.</p>
<p>“What did Drysdale say to you?” Thomas asked finally.</p>
<p>“Ah, you witnessed that,” Benny said.</p>
<p>“Of course,” Thomas said. “Looked like you found it funny.”</p>
<p>“I find it difficult to be amused by young Drysdale,” Benny said, “given his propensity to not only murder, but deliberately be the source of intense suffering to his victims - his attack on the virtuous Miss Cabrera being perhaps, and only perhaps, an exception. Still, I find it hard to avoid amusement when confronted with such a clever threat. I should have expected it, perhaps - he’s shown nothing but cleverness throughout this whole scheme. Only in the service of malevolence, of course, but--”</p>
<p>“Benny,” Thomas interrupted. “Go back to the threat.”</p>
<p>“Oh, that.” Benny waved a hand.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Thomas sat up straighter, sloshing his Scotch. “That.”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t worry about it. It was purely financial in nature.”</p>
<p>“Drysdale threatened to <em>sue</em> you?”</p>
<p>“Until my ‘detective skills, such as they are,’” Benny quoted, “are limited to figuring out who spit on the customer’s popcorn chicken.’”</p>
<p>“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Thomas said, leaning back.</p>
<p>“He’d clearly been thinking on it for a while,” Benny said. “He deserved a touch of appreciation.”</p>
<p>“I can think of better things to appreciate,” Thomas said, and set his glass aside. “And a much more clever person to reward.”</p>
<p>“Funny,” Benny said. “So can I.” He finished off his Scotch with a flourish and leaned over Thomas to set it down. “Shall we continue?”</p>
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